No special session on budgeting next week.
State legislators were unable to agree on a budget during the regular session this year. And now they’ve announced there will be no special session next week to hammer out a deal. The Florida House preferred a cut from the current budget and passed a $113 billion proposal, while the Senate passed a $115 billion plan. A budget must be in place by July 1 to avoid a partial state government shutdown.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has already called a special session for the week of April 20 to redraw congressional districts, and the budget may be addressed at that time.
Eau Gallie parking garage gets funding.
Brevard County commissioners approved $12 million for a new parking garage in downtown Eau Gallie. The garage is part of a public-private partnership with a hotel developer, with half of the 540 spaces reserved for public use. Public parking at the new structure will be free for the first 15 years. The hotel and garage replaces the Foosaner Arts Museum.
Burn ban lifted in Brevard.
Relief has arrived for Brevard County residents as local officials officially lifted the ban on open burning and the use of fireworks. The decision, announced Wednesday, comes after a recent rain successfully lowered the region’s wildfire risk.
While the restrictions have been removed, officials emphasize that the danger has not entirely vanished.
Hope Florida criminal investigation wrapped.
A criminal investigation into the Hope Florida organization appears to have been concluded. The probe was looking into whether the two grants the charity doled out went to political lobbying to stop the recreational marijuana initiative. But the state-run charity could soon attract the interest of the IRS when it files its tax return. How was the $10 million it received accounted for?
Less muck = cleaner lagoon.
The Eau Gallie Northeast Muck Removal Project is scheduled to begin mid-April, improving water quality in the Indian River Lagoon. WFIT’s Terri Wright explains.
The project, funded through the voter-approved Save Our Indian River Lagoon program and grants from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, will target a muck pit just northeast of the Eau Gallie Causeway, where decades of nutrient buildup have created organic-rich sediments that cloud the water, reduce oxygen levels, harm fish, seagrass, and other wildlife. Construction is expected to continue through mid-2027.
Boaters in the area should use caution during active dredging, as both floating and submerged pipelines may be present and not always fully visible.
Cold water and boats top manatee killers.
Cold water and boats are among the top two known killers of Florida's threatened manatee this year. Brevard's 27 deaths included: 2 watercraft-related and 7 from cold stress. The good news: overall sea cow deaths are down: 238 versus the 5-year average of 342 deaths.
Gator goes for a car ride.
Brevard County sheriff’s deputies arrested two tourists, after they were stopped in Melbourne with a dead alligator strapped to the roof of their car. The men claimed they found the animal as roadkill and planned to have it taxidermied, but they admitted they knew taking the gator was illegal. Both men were taken into custody on felony charges and have since bonded out of jail.
